Moving scams and red flags, as the agencies describe them and as the records show them

• 11red flags of moving fraud on FMCSA’s listFMCSA record
• 2 of 38Long Island sites that print a USDOT number SAFER lists as inactiveFMCSA record
• 10%over a weight-rated or binding estimate before a New York mover must deliver on payment of estimate plus 10 percent; 25 percent on hourly movesNYSDOT record, 17 NYCRR 814.3(d)

It then turns to something the lists do not cover, which is what a public record can show you. Of the 38 Long Island movers in our file, two print a USDOT number on their own site that SAFER listed as inactive on 21 October 2026, and four print a van line’s number rather than their own. We describe each in the record’s language. None of this makes a company a scam, and we do not say it does. It tells you which question to ask before you sign.

FMCSA lists 11 red flags of moving fraud

FMCSA’s page Red Flags of Moving Fraud (read 21 October 2026) lists 11 items. In our words, they are these.

The FTC’s list from 30 September 2024 adds registration and the in person look

The Federal Trade Commission’s alert, by Bridget Small, dated 30 September 2024, says a company that moves you across state lines must be registered with the U.S. Department of Transportation, which you can check on the DOT website (read 21 October 2026). Get written estimates from several movers, and expect the company to look at your property in person or have you describe it fully first. It gives three signs of a scam.

New York’s Department of State issued its own tips on 19 August 2025

The Division of Consumer Protection’s alert (read 21 October 2026) says NYSDOT licenses companies for moves statewide and that interstate registration can be checked through FMCSA’s mover search. It then lists the following.

1. 01
   Get estimates from at least three companies, and do not rely on a phone or email estimate without a further inquiry.
2. 02
   Watch for bait and switch; once you have a binding estimate you cannot be required to pay more than the agreed amount.
3. 03
   Never sign a blank or incomplete estimate.
4. 04
   Get written estimates and contracts, and make an inventory of your belongings.
5. 05
   Guard against a no show by being wary of large upfront payments or full payment in advance; reputable companies generally do not require significant advances.
6. 06
   Read all terms and conditions before loading.
7. 07
   If a dispute arises on a New York move, notify the company in writing first; loss and damage complaints go to DCP, other moving disputes to NYSDOT.

NYSDOT’s own DON’T list and the BBB’s warning signs round it out

NYSDOT’s Moving page (read 21 October 2026) carries a DON’T list. Do not use an unlicensed mover. Do not believe that any phone or written estimate will be the actual cost of your move. Do not sign anything you have not read and been given a copy of. It also says to insist on the Summary of Information booklet.

The Better Business Bureau’s tip page on hiring a mover shows no publication date (read 21 October 2026). It names three patterns: movers who arrive in an unmarked rental truck, movers who demand more money before releasing goods from storage, and movers who talk a client out of a written contract.

The BBB says to get at least three written estimates, preferably after a home visit.

What a record mismatch looks like, with no conclusion drawn

Every list above says to check registration. Here is what that looks like for the 38 Long Island companies we checked against SAFER on 21 October 2026. We print what the record says and what the site says, and draw no conclusion about anyone’s honesty. The records page has all 38 in one table.

An agent’s interstate job may run under the van line’s authority, so ask whose USDOT number will appear on your bill of lading.

NOT AUTHORIZED on SAFER means no interstate authority on file, and no one’s New York certificate could be checked

Hostage loads, in FMCSA’s own words

FMCSA’s page on whether movers can hold your belongings, last updated 30 October 2023, makes two statements (read 21 October 2026). Interstate movers can legally hold your belongings if you do not honor your contract and pay on time. FMCSA may take enforcement action when a mover or broker knowingly and willfully violates a contract and fails to deliver at the agreed destination after the customer has paid.

The October 2022 Rights and Responsibilities handbook is blunter. If the mover does not relinquish possession, it is holding your shipment hostage in violation of federal law, and if it demands an amount it is not entitled to charge, contact FMCSA immediately. Under 49 CFR 375.403(a)(10), refusing to release a shipment after you offer the binding estimate plus agreed extras is a failure of reasonable dispatch (eCFR, read 21 October 2026).

New York has a version for moves inside the state. When the bill runs more than 10 percent over a weight rated or binding estimate, the mover must deliver on payment of the estimate plus 10 percent. On an hourly rated move the margin is 25 percent (17 NYCRR 814.3(d), read 21 October 2026). Florida’s statute for moves inside Florida bars a mover from withholding prescription medicines or goods for use by children (Florida Statutes 507.06, read 21 October 2026).

Where to complain: NCCDB for interstate, NYSDOT and the Department of State for New York

The route depends on whether the move crossed a state line. The complaint goes into the company’s file; FMCSA cannot resolve claims against a mover (FMCSA, read 21 October 2026).